Guderzo wins Worlds with solo attack

Italy's Tatiana Guderzo claimed an emphatic victory in the woman's World Championship road race on Saturday in Mendrisio, Switzerland. She attacked solo from a fourwoman group that also included Marianne Vos (Netherlands), Noemi Cantele (Italy) and Kristin Armstrong (USA) on the final lap to win by 19 seconds.

Vos won the sprint for second ahead of Guderzo's Italian teammate, Noemi Cantele.

"Thanks to the team, they helped me up until the end," said Guderzo. "Noemi and I realised a dream."

Armstrong, winner of Thursday's time trial, finished fourth in her last race as a professional cyclist.

"I always want to medal, but it's the best result the Americans have had for many years," said Armstrong. "I hope this gives [other American riders] motivation for many years to come."

Guderzo helped form the winning group of four riders from a larger group of 19 on the final ascent of the Acqua Fresca. Italy had the majority and Guderzo made her race-winning move with a solo attack at the top of the climb.

"We controlled the race and showed that we were the strongest," continued Guderzo. "Now I am able to take home this beautiful jersey, which should be shared between the six of us."

Cantele was able to mark Vos and Armstrong over the following 10 kilometres, including the Novazzano climb.

"Italy was very strong," said Vos. "When there were four of us in the last lap, with two Italians, I knew it would be hard to win. Tatiana attacked hard and it was impossible to pull her back before the line."

The Mendrisio circuit featured two climbs, Acqua Fresca and Novazzano, in a short 13.8-kilometre circuit that was repeated nine times, for a total of 124.2 kilometres.

Slick start

Overnight rain made the streets wet and caused a number of crashes. Eneritz Iturriagaechevarria Mazaga (Spain) and Anna Evseeva (Russia) both crashed in lap three.

The race started to take shape in lap four, when a group of 12 went free on the descent of the Acqua Fresca. It had 1:30 over the chasers by the top of the Novazzano.

More riders from behind joined the dozen before the Novazzano climb in the next, fifth, lap. Italy's Fabiana Luperini attacked and led Claudia Häusler (Germany) and Emma Pooley (Great Britain) over the climb.

Germany took control of the field at the start of the sixth lap. They led a thinning group of around 40 riders, including Pooley and Mara Abbott (USA), up the Acqua Fresca.

Cantele, second in Thursday's time trial, attacked on the descent of the Acqua Fresca climb on lap seven. She gained 20 seconds by the top of the Novazzano climb ahead of an increasingly selective group that included three US riders: Abbott, Armstrong and Evelyn Stevens.

Vos, Nicole Brändli (Switzerland), Ruth Corset (Australia) and Linda Melanie Villumsen (Denmark) caught Cantele on the descent of Acqua Fresca in the eighth lap, with others joining from behind before the Novazzano climb.

Armstrong and Cantele counter-attacked and formed a larger group of 19 before the start of the final lap: Abbott, Armstrong, Stevens, Pooley, Vos, Villumsen, Cantele, Tatiana Guderzo (Italy), Ruth Corset (Australia), Erinne Willock (Canada), Edita Pucinskaite (Lithuania), Diana Ziliute (Lithuania), Grace Verbeke (Belgium), Brändli, Emma Johansson (Sweden), Catherine Cheatley (New Zealand), Paulina Brzezna (Poland), Häusler and Judith Arndt (Germany).

Italy's Guderzo and Cantele attacked with Armstrong and Vos on the final Acqua Fresca climb. Guderzo made her solo counter-attack at the top of the 1.6-kilometre climb.

Defending Champion Cooke abandons

Defending World Champion Nicole Cooke (Great Britain) lacked the form of twelve months prior. Her preparations for the race had suffered a setback due to a virus in July and today she fell behind the favourites in the opening laps of the race. She trailed the field by two minutes at the end of lap five, where she abandoned.

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Results
1Tatiana Guderzo (Italy)3:33:25
2Marianne Vos (Netherlands)0:00:19
3Noemi Cantele (Italy)Row 2 - Cell 2
4Kristin Armstrong (United States Of America)Row 3 - Cell 2
5Diana Ziliute (Lithuania)0:01:07
6Judith Arndt (Germany)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Erinne Willock (Canada)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Nicole Brändli (Switzerland)Row 7 - Cell 2
9Grace Verbeke (Belgium)Row 8 - Cell 2
10Catherine Cheatley (New Zealand)Row 9 - Cell 2
11Emma Johansson (Sweden)Row 10 - Cell 2
12Ruth Corset (Australia)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Edita Pucinskaite (Lithuania)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Emma Pooley (Great Britain)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Evelyn Stevens (United States Of America)Row 14 - Cell 2
16Linda Melanie Villumsen (Denmark)0:03:02
17Paulina Brzezna (Poland)0:03:41
18Mara Abbott (United States Of America)0:04:51
19Claudia Häusler (Germany)0:05:51
20Ana Garcia Antequera (Spain)0:05:54
21Andrea Bosman (Netherlands)0:06:54
22Ludivine Henrion (Belgium)Row 21 - Cell 2
23Chantal Blaak (Netherlands)Row 22 - Cell 2
24Julia Martisova (Russian Federation)Row 23 - Cell 2
25Christel Ferrier-Bruneau (France)Row 24 - Cell 2
26Edwige Pitel (France)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Elizabeth Armitstead (Great Britain)Row 26 - Cell 2
28Sharon Laws (Great Britain)Row 27 - Cell 2
29Trixi Worrack (Germany)Row 28 - Cell 2
30Fabiana Luperini (Italy)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Karine Gautard (France)0:09:52
32Rasa Leleivyte (Lithuania)0:10:11
33Kaytee Boyd (New Zealand)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Carla Swart (South Africa)Row 33 - Cell 2
35Sophie Creux (France)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Monika Grzebinoga (Poland)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Marissa Van Der Merwe (South Africa)Row 36 - Cell 2
38Verónica Leal Balderas (Mexico)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Christiane Soeder (Austria)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Tara Whitten (Canada)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Olena Oliinyk (Ukraine)Row 40 - Cell 2
42Regina Bruins (Netherlands)0:10:13
43Irene Van Den Broek (Netherlands)Row 42 - Cell 2
44Julie Krasniak (France)Row 43 - Cell 2
45Loes Gunnewijk (Netherlands)Row 44 - Cell 2
46Monia Baccaille (Italy)0:10:18
47Luisa Tamanini (Italy)Row 46 - Cell 2
48Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli (France)0:12:09
49Oxana Kozonchuk (Russian Federation)0:12:46
50Eivgenia Vysotska (Ukraine)Row 49 - Cell 2
51Laura Lorenza Morfin Macouzet (Mexico)Row 50 - Cell 2
52Tiffany Cromwell (Australia)Row 51 - Cell 2
53Alona Andruk (Ukraine)Row 52 - Cell 2
54Patricia Schwager (Switzerland)Row 53 - Cell 2
55Lieselot Decroix (Belgium)Row 54 - Cell 2
56Daniela Pintarelli (Austria)0:13:02
DNFModesta Vzesniauskaite (Lithuania)Row 56 - Cell 2
DNFSiobhan Horgan (Ireland)Row 57 - Cell 2
DNFRachel Mercer (New Zealand)Row 58 - Cell 2
DNFGiuseppina Grassi Herrera (Mexico)Row 59 - Cell 2
DNFAnna Evseeva (Russian Federation)Row 60 - Cell 2
DNFMalgorzta Jasinska (Poland)Row 61 - Cell 2
DNFNina Ovcharenko (Ukraine)Row 62 - Cell 2
DNFLiesbet De Vocht (Belgium)Row 63 - Cell 2
DNFKimberly Anderson (United States Of America)Row 64 - Cell 2
DNFGiorgia Bronzini (Italy)Row 65 - Cell 2
DNFTina Liebig (Germany)Row 66 - Cell 2
DNFTatiana Antoshina (Russian Federation)Row 67 - Cell 2
DNFJessie Daams (Belgium)Row 68 - Cell 2
DNFEneritz Iturriagaechevarria Mazaga (Spain)Row 69 - Cell 2
DNFEdita Unguryte (Lithuania)Row 70 - Cell 2
DNFInga Cilvinaite (Lithuania)Row 71 - Cell 2
DNFAnna Sanchis Chafer (Spain)Row 72 - Cell 2
DNFMartine Bras (Netherlands)Row 73 - Cell 2
DNFJoelle Numainville (Canada)Row 74 - Cell 2
DNFSvetlana Bubnenkova (Russian Federation)Row 75 - Cell 2
DNFAriadna Tudel Cuberes (Andorra)Row 76 - Cell 2
DNFNicole Cooke (Great Britain)Row 77 - Cell 2
DNFKatie Colclough (Great Britain)Row 78 - Cell 2
DNFSigrid Corneo (Slovenia)Row 79 - Cell 2
DNFVicki Whitelaw (Australia)Row 80 - Cell 2
DNFCharlotte Becker (Germany)Row 81 - Cell 2
DNFJennifer Hohl (Switzerland)Row 82 - Cell 2
DNFTrine Schmidt (Denmark)Row 83 - Cell 2
DNFEmilie Aubry (Switzerland)Row 84 - Cell 2
DNFSylwia Kapusta (Poland)Row 85 - Cell 2
DNFPolona Batagelj (Slovenia)Row 86 - Cell 2
DNFRosane Kirch (Brazil)Row 87 - Cell 2
DNFMarie Lindberg (Sweden)Row 88 - Cell 2
DNFEmilia Fahlin (Sweden)Row 89 - Cell 2
DNFJessica Schneeberger (Switzerland)Row 90 - Cell 2
DNFChanpeng Nontasin (Thailand)Row 91 - Cell 2
DNFEster Alves (Portugal)Row 92 - Cell 2
DNFFröydis Waerstad (Norway)Row 93 - Cell 2
DNFIna Teutenberg (Germany)Row 94 - Cell 2
DNFLucy Martin (Great Britain)Row 95 - Cell 2
DNFBelen Lopez Morales (Spain)Row 96 - Cell 2
DNFElena Novikova (Russian Federation)Row 97 - Cell 2
DNFOlivia Dillon (Ireland)Row 98 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Wolfer (Switzerland)Row 99 - Cell 2
DNFMartina Ruzickova (Czech Republic)Row 100 - Cell 2
DNFMaja Marukic (Croatia)Row 101 - Cell 2
DNFSemra Yetis (Turkey)Row 102 - Cell 2
DNFKathryn Bertine (St Kitts and Nevis)Row 103 - Cell 2
DNFMarina Boduljak (Croatia)Row 104 - Cell 2
DNFMonrudee Chapookham (Thailand)Row 105 - Cell 2
DNFWilaiwan Kunlapha (Thailand)Row 106 - Cell 2
DNFThatsani Wichana (Thailand)Row 107 - Cell 2
DNFAmber Neben (United States Of America)Row 108 - Cell 2
DNFDahlina Rosyida (Indonesia)Row 109 - Cell 2
DNFMeredith Miller (United States Of America)Row 110 - Cell 2
DNFRochelle Gilmore (Australia)Row 111 - Cell 2
DNFEmma Mackie (Australia)Row 112 - Cell 2
DNFHeather Logan (Canada)Row 113 - Cell 2
DNFMonica Ceccon (St Kitts and Nevis)Row 114 - Cell 2
DNFBlaza Klemencic (Slovenia)Row 115 - Cell 2
DNFSara Mustonen (Sweden)Row 116 - Cell 2
DNFOksana Kashchishina (Ukraine)Row 117 - Cell 2
DNFAlison Testroete (Canada)Row 118 - Cell 2
DNFVeronica Marcela Gerez (Argentina)Row 119 - Cell 2
DNFJulie Beveridge (Canada)Row 120 - Cell 2
DNFMarta Vila Josana Andreu (Spain)Row 121 - Cell 2
DNFAne Santesteban Gonzalez (Spain)Row 122 - Cell 2
DNFUenia Fernandes Da Souza (Brazil)Row 123 - Cell 2
DNFViena Balen (Croatia)Row 124 - Cell 2
DNFAlexis Rhodes (Australia)Row 125 - Cell 2
DNFNikki Harris (Great Britain)Row 126 - Cell 2

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